Crossroads of Destiny
by Fantasy Loremaster
Summary: His thoughts were dark and blood filled as visions of retribution rulled his sinister mind. Something dark is on the horizon for the Sons of Ipswich and Tyler's Irish cousin Aislinn. Will they survive? Can they work together? CHAPTER 5 NOW UP!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own the story or any of the characters from _The Covenant_. I was intrigued by the storyline from the movie and inspired to start a story in this realm. Any ideas, people and places not recognized in association with _The Covenant_ belong to me and any real life parallels are entirely coincidental.**

**With that said, now I can relax. Hello everyone and welcome to my new fiction, the very first one in _The Covenant_ world. I hope that you enjoy the ride I plan to give you and it would be wonderful if you dropped me a review to let me know what you think. This will be a multi-chaptered story that will be updated regularly. So without further adieu, I present to you:**

**Crossroads of Destiny**

**Chapter 1**

The sea below the ancient family seat in Éire was frothing in its fury as it raged against the cliff face. A petite form stared at the roiling water from the comfort of a window seat high atop the estate as rain pounded against the window glass. The entire Isle of Moiré seemed to be in mourning for the loss of the family matriarch.

"Aislinn, it is time."

The still figure turned her head away from the outside forces to stare at her childhood Nanny. Large grey eyes were somber as the young woman rose gracefully from her seat.

"I know Doreen."

The rotund nanny wiped her brown eyes as her charge slowly walked towards the door, her pale skin even whiter in her black mourning dress that matched her raven hair perfectly.

Unable to hold it in any longer she let out a wail of grief. Her longtime friend and employer was dead and her beautiful charge was to be whisked off to America to stay with her only living relative descended from the long bloodline of Turlough.

Slim arms encased in gloves engulfed the older woman in a hug, offering comfort and love. The graying redhead found herself leaning upon her charge's shoulder, for once the roles reversed. Many times had this child come running to her for comfort in the past, but no longer.

At the age of seventeen on the cusp of eighteen, Aislinn had grown into a beautiful, strong woman whose blood was the purest of any living Turlough, directly descended from the ancient royal line of Ciardha, rumored to be blessed with fey blood. Due to her Grandmother's machinations, her existence was kept secret after her mother died in childbirth and Aislinn was sheltered from the world having private tutors and lessons provided by longtime family friends who were sworn to secrecy.

It was not due to shame that Matriarch Brigid Turlough kept her granddaughter secreted away, but out of a fierce protectiveness to protect the last pure descendant of the Turlough clan. A power burned in Aislinn's blood, a power that is the strongest seen in over four hundred years since the time of Elspeth Turlough.

The women of the Turlough clan, at least the true descendants of the bloodline, have always had some extra sensory powers. Whether the power is the Sight, Empathy or even in some cases Healing, none had ever had the capability to the degree that Aislinn had.

And it had worried Brigid Turlough endlessly.

Sniffling, Doreen stepped back and gave Aislinn a stern once over.

"Are you performing?" She asked in a nasally voice.

Smiling softly, the raven-haired teen responded. "Yes, Doreen. Máthair always loved to hear me play. Particularly towards the end."

Her smile dimmed as she recalled many nights standing at the foot of her grandmother's bed and playing a lively tune on her fiddle. Sometimes her grandmother would request that she use the electric violin, wanting to feel the sheer power of the instrument deep in her blood, her bones.

As a fellow music lover, Aislinn understood what her Máthair meant. Those times were some of the best in her memory.

"Has my estranged cousin arrived yet?"

Doreen smiled sadly as she nodded. "Alana arrived a few hours ago with her son Tyler. He's your age, you know."

"Yes. I know. Máthair was very thorough in her tutoring. I am familiar with the prestigious history of the Sims, being one of the oldest families in Ipswich, Massachusetts. I can recite their family tree, but I do not know much about them as individuals. Likes, dislikes, things like that."

The former nanny eyed her charge speculatively. " And are they aware or your _uniqueness_?"

"Cousin Alana of course is, being Máthair's niece. But she follows the same code as all Turloughs. She has not and will not reveal our clan's secret."

"Was she one of the blessed ones?"

Aislinn shook her head. "No. She was Máthair's niece by marriage. Besides you know, very few of past three generations have been blessed."

"And none as much as yourself." Doreen said with a sniffle.

The slender woman smiled wistfully. "Máthair always said that I was thrice blessed, a true daughter of Éire."

A knock on the door interrupted the two women.

"We have to go. That is most likely Kerry, hurrying us along."

"Go on Doreen. I just need another minute."

Nodding in understanding, the former nanny left the room in a swish if skirts. Alone, The Daughter of Éire glanced around her room, her grey eyes mournful. Breathing deeply, she smoothed her dress with her gloved hands before turning on her heel and exiting.

She had a funeral to attend.

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Tyler Sims was bored. Utterly bored. He had been stuck inside of the Rolls Royce since they landed in Dublin three hours ago. Granted, the car was every man's wet dream come true, but the ride was l-o-n-g. Not to mention the fact that he was stuck with his mother who kept prattling on about the ancient family seat of Turlough. He didn't see what the big deal was, after all _his_ lineage was rather important as well. Being one of the sons of Ipswich was a proud heritage, one that he would not trade for the world. Even with the possible addiction of his powers. Seeing the result of Caleb's ascension and Chase Collin's dementia had sobered all of the Sons of Ipswich into acting more responsibly and taking their powers seriously. It was hard to believe that it had only been three weeks since the battle between Caleb and Chase took place.

"How much longer?" He asked his mother impatiently.

"Just over that hill, and we will have come to the borders of the family estate." She responded almost excitedly.

Tyler raised his eyebrow and was ready to comment on his mother's excitement when his cell phone vibrated indicating a text message. He flipped it open eager for the distraction. It was from his best friend Reid Garwin.

_U there?_

_**Y. N 1 Piece.**_

_U OK?_

_**Bored.**_

_No hot-ez?_

_**N car 3 hrs. Not there yet.**_

_Suckz._

_**Y. M is crazy. Won't stop talk….**_

_**HOLY SHIT!**_

_What? Ty? What?_

_**A fing castle!**_

_NO WAY!_

_**4 real! Gotta go.**_

Tyler flipped his phone closed as his mouth hung open in absolute shock. A goddamn castle loomed in the distance. A huge, turret ridden, honest to god castle!

Un-fucking-real!

His eyes drank in the moss-covered walls greedily as the car drew closer. He could see the modernized parts of the stone edifice and perfectly manicured lawns. He took a picture with his phone, several in fact before sending them out to the other sons of Ipswich almost robotically.

"Mom, you lived here?" He asked hoarsely.

"Only for about six months before we moved back to the States after my father remarried."

Seeing Tyler's confused expression she elaborated. "Brigid Turlough was my Aunt by marriage. My father married her sister after my mother died. She welcomed me into the family and treated me as a true Turlough."

"So, this Aislinn Turlough is what? Your second cousin?"

"Actually, we, the Turlough clan, could never keep all of the relations between cousins right. So we settled on just simply labeling everyone as cousins."

The car pulled in front of the enormous wooden doors that had intricate carvings of the sea and was supported by massive wrought iron hinges. The youngest Son of Ipswich exited as the driver helped his mother out. The massive doors opened and a tall figure stepped out.

"Mrs. Sims. Welcome back! It has been too many years since you were here last."

"Kerry? Is that you?"

A smile broke out on the elderly man's face. "Indeed it is Mrs. Sims."

"Alana, Kerry. Call me Alana."

Tyler didn't know what surprised him more. The warm smile on his usually reserved mother's face or the fact that she had no trouble understanding the man's thick Irish brogue.

"And this must be young Master Tyler."

The teenager shook the proffered hand. "Pleased to meet you sir."

"Oh ho! Such manners! Are you sure he is yours Alana?"

"Kerry! I wasn't _that_ bad."

Tyler couldn't resist a chuckle at the skeptical look on the older man's face. Clearing his throat, Kerry ushered them inside before following after them.

If the teenager thought the outside was impressive, there was no comparison to the inside. Numerous sconces lit the entrance hall illuminating the numerous tapestries lining the wood paneling depicting various scenes of nature and battles. While mostly devoid of furniture there were a few tables and wall hanging mirrors spread strategically around the hall. He could see three benches lining the walls as the walked further into the entrance hall.

Impressed, Tyler continuously snapped pictures with his phone, pausing when he passed a disturbing tapestry depicting a witch burning at the stake in vivid detail. He carefully took another picture making sure to include all of the sewn words that was faded somewhat with time.

Kerry led them to another set of doors and threw them open before standing proud.

"Welcome to Éire. The ancient family seat of the clan Turlough."

Gaping, Tyler mechanically followed behind his mother and their guide taking in the sheer magnitude of the place. Various décor lined the rooms they passed, very old and in excellent condition. His brain was having trouble assimilating all of the history that was contained in these walls.

For the first time he could truly understand his mother's excitement of returning here. He ascended a massive staircase, eyeing the paintings lined on the walls. The work was exquisite even to his untrained eyes.

"Here you go Master Sims. This here is your suite."

The teenager snapped his attention back to their guide and nodded his thanks.

"Thank you sir."

"Your mother's rooms are further down the hall. You have time to rest before the service if you so desire. If you need anything, pull the rope by your bed and a servant will be up shortly afterwards to attend to you. Someone will collect you in time for the service."

"Thank you."

Saying his goodbyes, the handsome man entered his rooms closing the door firmly behind him. Finding his luggage already here, he immediately went to unpack his laptop. Booting it up, he took a long look around his quarters for the next week, finding them rather comfortable and simply decorated in warm earth tones.

Recalling that the castle had Internet connection, he quickly logged online, glad for the wireless capabilities. Typing up a quick message, he plugged his phone in and downloaded the photos he had taken to his brethren back in Ipswich. Sending off his message, he closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair.

Suddenly, he felt tired as his body needed to adjust to being six hours ahead. Maybe he would take a nap like Kerry suggested.

After all, he needed to feel well rested when he met Aislinn Turlough. Hopefully they would get along just fine since they would be both attending Spenser academy together and his mother and himself were the only living relatives she had left.

Unfortunately, he had a feeling that she would be a stuck up bitch having been born and bred in a castle and treated like a princess all of her life. He felt no regret at his snap judgment of her. He was used to the snobby girls of Spenser coming from money and lots of it.

It never occurred to him that he could be utterly wrong.

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"I am sorry for your loss."

Aislinn gritted her teeth and kept her smile plastered on her face as she thanked the umpteenth guest. She stood in the receiving line eyeing the long line of people who had attended the service.

She sighed as she braced herself to greet the next guest. She turned her attention to a striking older woman accompanied by a handsome man around her age fiddling with his cell phone.

"Aislinn? I am your cousin Alana. Alana Sims. And this is my son Tyler."

Smiling brilliantly at finally being able to meet her distant cousin in person the heiress shook her hand before replying in her soft brogue.

"It is a pleasure to finally be able to meet you. Máthair would tell me stories of your brief stay here at Éire."

"Lies. All lies." Alana said with a twinkle in her eye.

Aislinn laughed softly at that. "I am sure. Just as the stories of my misadventures are false."

"Exactly!"

The two women exchanged smiles.

"Tyler, say hello to Aislinn."

The tall, blue-eyed teenager stepped forward to greet her with the hand not holding his phone.

"Pleased to meet you." She said softly.

"Likewise."

A moment of uncomfortable silence descended the trio. All Tyler could do was stare at the mesmerizing young woman in front of him. He had covertly taken a few pictures of her as he stood further back in line, and now that he was up close he could not help but record a small video of her interaction with his mother to send to his friends later.

"Well, we had better be moving along since there are tons more guests for you to greet."

A grimace crossed Aislinn's face causing Alana to laugh. She patted the younger woman's hand.

"We have plenty of time to chat later my dear."

"Of course cousin. It was a pleasure to meet you in person. You too Tyler." Aislinn said with warmth.

Saying goodbye, mother and son made their way to the reception hall, following the throng of guests.

The heiress of the estate stared after them a moment before her attention was captured by the next guest.

With a heavy heart she saw that it was Lord Jasper Hamilton, an Englishman in his late twenties who was after the family estate. Unfortunately for her, that meant he needed to pursue her hand in marriage in order to gain control of Éire.

"Lady Turlough, you still look absolutely breathtaking in your time of grief. I am truly sorry for your loss."

It took all of her willpower not to flinch as the coldly handsome man kissed her gloved hand.

"Thank you for your compliment Lord Hamilton. Though looking pretty is the farthest thing from my mind I can assure you." She said coolly, yanking her hand from his grasp.

"But of course. Forgive me for being so callous." His frigid blue eyes bored down into hers.

"Yes, well, thank you for coming. Now if you will excuse me, I have other guests to attend to."

A flash of irritation appeared in his eyes at her dismissal but he covered it with a cold smile. He inclined his head before moving on.

She shuddered as he left her presence, for once glad that she would be an ocean away and from him soon enough.

She leaned over to Doreen and Kerry and excused herself pleading exhaustion. Smiling in sympathy, Doreen nodded having seen the interaction between her charge and Hamilton.

"Go, take a break sweetheart. I'm sure the guests can manage without you for a little while."

Aislinn quietly slipped away, and made her way upstairs away from the guests. She made her way to the Hall of Portraits, her refuge.

She seated herself on the window seat overlooking the raging sea and leaned her head against the cool glass.

God, she just wanted all of this to be over with. As much as she loathed leaving her home, she was ready to spread her wings and take flight. She technically would not inherit the family seat of Éire until she was twenty-five, though she was already recognized as the matriarch of the extended clan of cousins.

The Turlough clan, while sticklers for a lot of customs, could be lax when it suited them. And it suited them to look to Aislinn as the Head of the family.

"Am I disturbing you?"

Startled, she jumped slightly. Snapping her head around she saw Tyler standing a few feet away.

"I did not mean to scare you."

She stood, her hands clasped in front of her.

"It is quite alright. I was lost in my thoughts. But what are you doing here?" She asked abruptly.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I got lost trying to find my room."

She smiled. "I can show you if you wish."

"Thank you. I would appreciate it."

They walked in silence for a few minutes before she spoke, her soft brogue breaking the ice.

"What is Spenser like?"

"I guess it is like any other prep school. Full of rich kids who do stupid things for kicks."

She smiled. "You sound like my online pen pal. He told me almost the exact same thing you just did. He attends a prestigious boarding school as well, though I never did think to ask which one."

She laughed, a wonderful sound to his ears.

"I was actually curious about the extracurricular activities. My pen pal says that he is on the swim team with three of his best friends, and it sounds like something I would enjoy. I absolutely adore the water. Máthair used to say that I had to have been born part dolphin."

Tyler had gone rigid at her recognizable description of her communication with her online pen pal. Her reference to being part dolphin was eerily familiar too. He stopped in his tracks.

"Irishprey400?" He asked, heeding his inner voice that was screaming at him saying that this was his long-time pen pal..

She whirled around to face him. "How did you know….?" Her eyes widened.

"Mson4?" She asked cautiously.

A huge grin lit up Tyler's face. "I don't believe it! How cool is this? Here I was afraid of how to talk to you only to find out that you are the pen pal I've had for the past two years!"

"It is a relief for me as well. I was rather unsure of how to talk to you myself seeing as we come from two totally separate worlds. It is nice to know that you are already my friend."

"Nice, are you kidding? This is great! Just wait until I tell the guys!"

She smiled again. "I guess this really is a small world. Máthair used to say that no matter how much you might think you know about something, there is always a different side to learn."

"Smart woman."

"Yes, she was. I miss her sorely and I will miss this place when I move to your country. I am a bit nervous about that you know."

Tyler smiled at his petite companion. "Don't worry. The Sons of Ipswich will take good care of you."

"I don't doubt that Tyler. Just remember, I will be over there to finish my education, not socialize. I have already taken my placement exams and hopefully with the proper letters of recommendation and grades I can get into Oxford. I am lucky enough to have been tutored by world-class teachers who were very close friends with the Turlough family. I think that as well as money is what made my enrollment into your school so very easy."

Tyler let out a low whistle. "Oxford huh? You could always attend a college back in the States. We do have quite a few really good ones, you know."

"I know. I am not that naïve that I will not keep my options open, but Oxford is where the current of life is presently pulling me."

Seeing his confused expression, she explained. "The current of life is much like an ocean current. Constantly pulling you along your path unless you have the strength to break free."

"I must say, I have not heard that comparison before. But I think it suits you." He mused.

She laughed. "Well, you did not grow up here at Éire where the sea is your constant companion."

"True enough."

They continued walking in silence for a few minutes before the youngest Son of Ipswich had a thought.

"What do you mean that you don't plan to socialize? What about hanging out with friends, partying, boys, things like that."

She stiffened and turned her face away.

"Aislinn? What is wrong? Was it something I said." He asked puzzled at her reaction to his innocuous question.

She turned her grey eyes on him and he was stunned at the sadness reflected in them.

"Do you remember when we first started writing to each other how often I wrote to you?"

"Yes." He answered slowly.

"Do you also recall my response when you asked if I had a boyfriend?"

He wracked his brain trying to remember. Frustrated he shook his head negatively.

"I said that I was unable to love, God made it so."

"That's right. But you never explained what you meant."

She sighed wearily. "I have too much to do before I can even think about a man in my life in a romantic fashion. I do not have the luxury that other women my age do. I have a great responsibility as the Head of the Turlough clan and I cannot allow myself to be distracted by something as insignificant as a man."

He gave her a long look, his lips pressed together in irritation.

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!"

She recoiled from the anger in his tone and his hurtful words. She breathed deeply before responding quietly.

"Maybe it is stupid to you, but not to me. There are many things that you do not know about me Mr. Sims, and if you did, you would understand that I am not someone a man would consider having a relationship with. Like I have said, I am unable to love. God made it so."

She stopped by another hallway and motioned with her hand. "You will find your quarters down there, fifth door on the left. I must get back to my guests. Goodnight, Mr. Sims."

Her formal tone of voice made him want to kick himself for bringing a halt to her good mood. He did not understand what had happened and was sad that their comradeship at finding out that they were old pen pals was now over with.

"Goodnight Aislinn. Thank you for showing me the way." He said stiffly.

She nodded once before turning on her heel, leaving him to stand alone in the hallway. He stared after her as she disappeared from view, replaying the last moments of their conversation in his mind.

There was something secretive about Aislinn Turlough, something she was not sharing with him. Now that he thought about it, he could recall numerous times in the past where certain things she had said in their correspondence was odd, such as that whole statement that God made her so she was unable to love. Whenever he called her on it in the past, she would brush it of or give an answer that made no sense to him.

Suddenly, a picture of the witch burning tapestry flashed across his mind in vivid detail.

Maybe the secrecy wasn't just with Aislinn herself. Maybe it was with the bloodline. He was determined to find out and he knew just the person to ask. He would wait until morning and then confront his mother.

If anyone knew and could tell him, it would be her.

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**A/N: **Next chapter, we will catch up with the other Sons of Ipswich and see what's been going on in their lives. I will gloss over a lot of Tyler's week stay in Ireland, but do so in a manner that helps the story flow.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and the introduction of Aislinn Turlough the heroine of the story.

Yes, I will have Chase Collins in this story as well. I know, I know, unoriginal. But what can I say, he makes a wicked cool bad guy.

Drop me a line and let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading!

F.L.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I do not own the story or any of the characters from _The Covenant_. I was intrigued by the storyline from the movie and inspired to start a story in this realm. Any ideas, people and places not recognized in association with _The Covenant_ belong to me and any real life parallels are entirely coincidental.**

**Crossroads of Destiny**

**Chapter 2**

Sarah Wenham flopped on her bed, stressed from the Chemistry exam she just took. She was glad it was Friday and that she had the whole weekend to recuperate from the rush of midterms that she and all of the students at Spenser Academy just went through. Winter Break was in a couple of weeks and she looked forward to not having classes for the two solid weeks she would be stuck at school.

Her parents, on rather short notice, had called to inform her that they would be visiting her hated Aunt Eileen in Colorado. While she would miss spending Christmas with her folks, she was relieved at the same time. The past six weeks have been extremely trying with starting a new school, starting a relationship, finding out that the man she started said relationship with was part of a coven of witches that had supernatural powers. Not to mention the insane fifth Son of Ipswich that tried to kill her roommate, her boyfriend and herself.

It was enough to make any sane person go nuts.

She eased herself into a sitting position, glancing at the clock on her nightstand. She had three hours before the crew was getting together at Nicky's to celebrate the ending of the ghastly midterms as well as Tyler's returning from Ireland. Having taken the exams before he left, he refused to give his friends any clues on what to expect. She figured Reid would want to rip his best friend a new one for that.

She, on the other hand, was rather eager to meet Tyler's cousin, Aislinn Turlough. Caleb had shown her the e-mails of the photos that the youngest Son of Ipswich had taken during his time in Ireland and she had been blown away by the sheer beauty of the castle as well as its mistress.

According to Tyler, Aislinn had actually turned out to be his pen pal from overseas. Caleb was suspicious of that fact, not believing in coincidences. Sarah thought that she had finally driven the point home that there was no way that Tyler and Aislinn could've known that she would be relocating to the U.S., and so their connection as pen pals was purely coincidental.

Her boyfriend pointed out that Aislinn's grandmother had been sick for three years, a whole year before she started corresponding with Tyler. Unfortunately, Sarah had nothing to say to that. While she believed whole-heartedly that it was a coincidence, she could understand Caleb's suspicions. He would wait to reserve judgment until he got to meet her.

The door to her room opened rousing her from her thoughts. Kate Tunney, her roommate and best friend entered and threw herself on her own bed.

"Finally!" The pretty mocha skinned girl exclaimed.

Sarah laughed at her friend's comment.

"Tell me about it. Thank god, it's over!"

The two women exchanged grins.

"So, Nicky's at seven?"

"Oh, most definitely!" The blond said with a smile. "Wouldn't miss Tyler getting reamed out by Reid for the world!"

Kate laughed. "I think Pogue will join in on that."

"Speaking of Pogue, how are things with you two? Do I hear wedding bells in the distant future Mrs. Pogue Parry?"

Kate threw a pillow at her roommate. "Oh shut it."

The beautiful blond laughed at her friend's discomfort.

"Seriously, dish. What's up with you two anyway? Have you stopped avoiding him yet?"

All good humor fled Kate's face as she chewed her lip.

"Sarah, you know that I had to deal with what happened my own way. Pogue and I, well I don't know. It hurt him that I did not visit him for the week he was in the hospital and I can understand that. But he also should have understood that I needed to sort through what happened and I could not do that if I saw him in a hospital bed covered in bruises and unconscious."

"I know." The blond said softly recalling how bad Pogue looked. Now he was almost fully healed, something of a miracle in her opinion. She wouldn't be surprised to find out that the coven had done something to help their brother recover faster.

"But that is all in the past now. So why have you continued to avoid him?"

"I don't always avoid him." Kate said defensively.

Sarah raised her brow in surprise at her friend's tone. "Yes, you do."

The pretty mocha skinned girl glared at her roommate.

"Look, you weren't the one who almost died of magical spider bites because your boyfriend has special powers that some insane man coveted!"

"No, but I AM the one who was captured and used as bait for MY boyfriend so some insane man could kill him!"

Kate's lips were pressed together in anger. Suddenly, her shoulders slumped.

"You're right. About what you went through and right about me avoiding Pogue. I don't know what I want. I love him, but at the same time I feel like I can't be with him. In all honesty, I think that the two of us should take a break."

Sarah joined her friend on her bed and hugged the sad woman.

"Kate, you have a lot to figure out right now and maybe having space between the two of you will help you find the peace of mind you need. I am here for you if you need to talk."

"I know Sarah. Thanks."

The two women sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

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Reid checked his watch impatiently. "Where the hell is he?" He muttered.

Overhearing, Pogue leaned towards him, partially blocking out the din of Nicky's.

"He'll be here."

The blond man sighed, annoyed at having to wait. "I know."

Pogue studied his coven brother. "Is it Tyler you are waiting for, or his cousin?"

Reid snorted. "What do you think? Didn't you see the pictures of her, man? She is smokin'!"

The leather clad man shrugged. "I didn't get the chance to read his e-mails. I was too busy cramming for the midterms and finishing my physical therapy. Besides Caleb kept me well informed."

Reid's expression darkened at the mention of his friend's recovery. All of the Sons of Ipswich were tetchy about the accident and the situation between them and the deceased Chase Collins. Given the choice, he would love to bring that sonofabitch back to life just to send him back to hell, Reid Garwin style.

"Here comes Caleb."

The blond man shifted so he could see their coven leader clearly. He was making his way through the crowd, Sarah in tow. He could make out Kate Tunney behind them as all three of them fought through the throng of celebrating teens.

Pogue stood and greeted his best friend while Reid moved over to make more room at their table. He saw Pogue hesitate before hugging Kate. The blond man plastered a fake smile on his handsome features before greeting the newcomers.

"Kate, I didn't expect you to come. It's nice to see you."

The mocha-skinned woman leveled a glare at Reid.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are _so_ pleased."

The blond man grabbed his heart like he was in pain. "Why the sarcasm? Do I not rate on your social scale at all? I am wounded. Truly."

"Knock it off Reid." Pogue said warningly.

"Ok, Ok, I was just kidding around."

Caleb shook his head at the blonde's antics. While he agreed with Reid's dislike of Kate, on some level he understood where she was coming from. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. But what it all boiled down to was that the Sons of Ipswich were able to handle seeing Pogue injured and were there for him through his stages of recovery. But his _girlfriend_ wasn't. He honestly did not know how much longer Pogue and Kate could hold onto the threads of their rapidly unraveling relationship.

"Oh, look there's Tyler!" Sarah exclaimed from his side.

Reid whirled around and spotted his best friend weaving in and out of the crowd.

"It's about fucking time he got here……"

The blond man's voice died out as he caught sight of the petite raven-haired woman following at Tyler's heels. Dressed simply in a black form fitting sweater and a pair of dark jeans, she was stunning. And not in the wholesome girl-next-door way that Sarah was. No, she was more ethereal, more delicate. Her photos did not do her justice.

"Guys!" Tyler exclaimed happily as he finally made it to their table.

Reid stood and cuffed the younger man upside his head. "Good to see you Ty. Welcome back."

"It's good to be back. Guys, I want to introduce you to my cousin Aislinn. Aislinn Turlough, meet Caleb Danvers and his girlfriend Sarah Wenham, Reid Garwin, Pogue Parry and his girlfriend Kate Tunney." Tyler said gesturing to each person in turn.

"Hello. Tyler has told me so much about you. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Aislinn said softly.

Sarah smiled widely at the grey-eyed woman. "I absolutely adore your accent! It is wonderful!"

Caleb chuckled at his girlfriend's enthusiasm. "Sweetie, I think that maybe Aislinn would want something to drink. Take her to the bar?"

"Sure!" The friendly blond beamed before getting up and linking arms with the shorter woman.

"Let's go get you something to drink Aislinn."

Feeling slightly bewildered, Aislinn let Sarah drag her off to the bar unaware of the stares the two women were receiving. The lively blond elbowed her way to the counter and whistled for Nicky's attention. He motioned that he would be a few minutes and Sarah shrugged in response.

"So, have you seen much of the town yet?" She shouted over the noise so Aislinn could hear her.

"No. We landed in Boston and then drove here. Alana, Tyler's mother, insisted that she stay and help me get settled in before heading to her home."

"Are you staying at the dorm?"

Aislinn nodded. "Yes. I am fortunate enough not to have a roommate. Though in all honesty I think Máthair made a hefty financial contribution to the school before she died so I could have my own room."

Actually, she knew for a fact that her grandmother had done just that for Aislinn's protection and sanity. It would have been a disaster if she did not have her own room where she could be herself and be able to let all of her protective barriers go after hours.

"I am sorry for your loss." The taller woman said sincerely.

The petite woman smiled at the blond. "Thank you. That was kind of you to say. Tyler said I would like you and your openness."

Sarah blushed in pleasure at the compliment. "So you and Tyler are close?"

Aislinn shifted, but before she could answer Nicky approached them.

"Sorry about the wait ladies. What can I get you?"

"Oh, I would like a coke. How about you Aislinn?"

The raven-haired teen sighed as she eyed the ales on tap. She was not back home in Éire or at the village pub so a good pint of ale was out of the question.

"The same if you please."

Nicky raised his brow. "An Irish lass huh? Well I'll be. A bit far from home now aren't you?"

"I am starting at Spenser Academy on Monday. I guess you could say this is my home, for now."

He shrugged. "Well it will be nice having you around. Change of scenery and all of that. I'll be back with your drinks shortly."

Not quite sure what to make of the congenial older man, Aislinn thanked him. Seeing Sarah talking to Kate who had just joined them, she turned so that she was facing the dance floor and eyed the couples grinding with distaste.

"You should try that with me. I guarantee you that it will be a dance to remember."

Aislinn jumped at the sudden sound of a low voice in her ear. She spun around and eyed the man who had snuck up on her.

"No thank you. I am fine where I am."

The blue eyed man with longish hair laughed. "Somehow I doubt that. Come, dance with me."

He tugged at her gloved hand determined to drag her out to the dance floor. Aislinn dug her heels in and tried to snatch her hand from his grip.

"I said no thank you. Go find another partner."

Her sharp tone caught Sarah's attention. Looking over she saw Aaron Abbott crowding her new friend.

"Back off Aaron. She is not interested in dancing with you. Go find your slut of a girlfriend."

Aaron's face turned an ugly red as his grip tightened painfully on Aislinn's hand.

"I didn't ask you Wenham."

"No matter, she is right. I do not desire a dance with you. Please let me go." Aislinn interrupted.

A smile spread across his face. "Baby, I promise I'll let you talk all you want. I could go all night listening to that sexy accent of yours. You _will_ dance with me though."

He tugged her hand harder. She felt her glove beginning to slip off and panicked.

"I dinna wan' to dance with you mon!" Her brogue thickened with her agitation.

Sarah grabbed Aislinn's other arm trying to break her free of Aaron's vice like grip. She shouted at Kate.

"Go, get Caleb or Tyler!"

The dark skinned girl immediately complied feeling uneasy at the determination she saw in Abbott's eyes. Luckily, she already saw all four Sons of Ipswich forcing their way towards them.

A shrill scream caused her to turn around. She saw Aislinn hunch over as if in pain, her bare hand cradled against her chest. She could have sworn she had seen a flash of white before the Irish teen closed her eyes. Her eyes widened as Sarah slapped Aaron across his face.

Kate started towards the crouched figure of Aislinn, but Tyler reached her first.

"No, dinna touch me! Ye canna get too close!" Aislinn shouted at the confused teen trying to help her. Tears poured from behind her closed eyes.

Silently, Pogue crept behind Aaron and put him in a headlock. Meanwhile, Caleb had grabbed Aislinn's glove from the floor as Aaron tried to fight off Pogue's hold. Handing the glove to Tyler he motioned for Sarah and the youngest Son of Ipswich to get Aislinn out of there.

Sarah gently pulled the distraught woman up by her arm before leading her through the throng of people and into the crisp autumn night. Tyler followed confused. He thought that after their argument the first night back in the castle that Aislinn and him had reconciled and was starting to be even closer friends than they had before when they were pen pals. He had unsuccessfully confronted his mother about what secrets Aislinn could be hiding, but she proved to be stone when it came to the Clan Turlough, refusing to tell him anything.

Aislinn's reaction just now caused his suspicions to spike. He was absolutely certain that there was something strange about the Head of the Turlough clan. Now that he was back home, he would have his coven brothers help him get to the bottom of it.

"I'm alright." The Irish teen said, stepping away from Tyler and Sarah.

"He just startled me. That's all. I am not used to such behavior back home."

Tyler stared at his friend's open eyes. He saw sheer terror lurking there as she tried to cover it up with a brave front. He reached out and handed her the forgotten glove. He knew that she would want it back as soon as possible. She had explained to him, after they had apologized for their short words to each other his first night in Éire, that she had extremely sensitive hands with a rare skin condition causing her to wear gloves all of the time. Of course, the exceptions were times when she was bathing, swimming or playing her violin.

"Thank you Tyler." She accepted her glove and tugged it onto her pale hand. She looked at him, her striking grey eyes brimming with regret.

"I am sorry I shouted at you. There was no cause for me to do that. I did not mean to cause a scene."

He smiled at her. "If I were you and I had Aaron Abbott all over me, I would've screamed bloody murder too."

"I think we all would have. It most definitely is not a pleasant experience to have that idiot hitting on you." Sarah chimed in with an exaggerated shudder.

Aislinn laughed. "It is good to know that I am not the exception."

The two women grinned at each other. Tyler saw Caleb, Pogue and Reid exiting through the side door and swiftly walked over to them while the two girls were occupied. Before the blue-eyed teen could speak Caleb pounced.

"What the hell happened?"

Tyler blinked, surprised at his friend's tone of voice. "Apparently Abbott was manhandling Aislinn and she got a little freaked out. She's not used to that kind of treatment. Back in Ireland, she is held in very high regard with all of the Turlough clan as well as the surrounding towns. No one would dare treat her like Abbott just did."

Pogue groaned. "A fucking princess. Great. Just what we need."

Tyler bristled at that remark.

"That wasn't a nice thing to say Pogue. You don't know her so don't judge her."

"I might be mistaken, but weren't you the one saying that exact thing before you went to Ireland? As I recall you were dreading the trip because you, and I quote 'Did not want to put up with a spoiled brat who couldn't even manage to tie her own shoes without her servants helping her?'"

"Um guys, I don't think that now…"

"Shut up Reid! This doesn't concern you. So what if I did say that Pogue? At least I have spoken more than a 'hello' to her."

The longhaired man snorted. "Considering that you have been around her 24/7 for the last week, I would expect that you would have said more than hello. I, on the other hand just met her and I am making a judgment on what just happened inside. Of course we all know the real reason why baby boy here would talk to any girl."

"Guys, seriously, you might want to…."

Tyler ignored his best friend's interruption. "What the hell is that supposed to mean Pogue?"

Reid gave up on trying to stop his two friends from bickering and for once decided to step back and watch the show with Caleb. The leader of the coven was shaking his head at the argument, Sarah and a white faced Aislinn at his side, having heard the whole thing.

"Gee, think about it baby boy. The only reason you would take the time to even start a friendship with a girl is so that you have a shot at getting into their pants. You and your cousin are not blood related in any way and you are like second cousins twice removed or something. So tell me Tyler, why the abrupt turnabout in your opinion of her? You couldn't stand the thought of having the spoiled princess in your life before."

Tyler's face was red with anger. "OK, Parry, that was fucked up! She is family and I would not consider her in that way for that reason alone. You have a twisted mind."

Pogue smiled cruelly. "Ah, but I do recall a certain comment that Caleb said you made in your e-mails. I believe it was 'Fucking bitch needs to get laid to make her relax.' Tell me, why would you say something like that if you had not considered fucking her?"

Caleb groaned. Oh, this was just perfect! This had gone from bad to worse. He could feel Aislinn shaking in rage and he saw the angered expression on Sarah's face. Reid wasn't helping matters either. The jackass was laughing his ass off and Caleb failed to see the humor in the situation.

Tyler was beyond pissed at this point. "We had a fucking fight you asshole! I was blowing off steam!"

The side door to Nicky's opened and Kate walked out. She stopped short at seeing Pogue and Tyler nose to nose.

"What is going on here?"

"I'll tell ye. My cousin and yer mon seem to be havin' words regardin' my character. I dinna know that I was held in such low opinion a'roun here. I canna listen to any more. I willna stay where I am no' wanted and I am obviously no' wanted here."

Both Tyler and Pogue stiffened as they heard Aislinn's voice, her brogue thick with anger and hurt.

"Fuck." Tyler breathed out.

"Hey man, I tried to warn you." Reid said holding his hands up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I will accompany the ladies back to the dorm. See you later Ty."

Caleb kissed Sarah on her cheek and patted Aislinn on her shoulder before turning his attention to Pogue and Tyler. Kate, seeing the displeasure on the coven leader's face, dashed to where Reid, Sarah and Aislinn were walking away.

"Look Caleb, I was just trying to rile Tyler up. You know how easy it is to get him going at times."

"Fuck you Pogue! You were the one who started it by insulting my cousin!"

"Yeah, and you continued it when you reacted. I must've hit the mark for you to get as angry as you are! All I said was that your cousin was a spoiled princess who couldn't manage the littlest things without help!"

"ENOUGH!!!!!" Caleb roared, his eyes black with anger.

His brethren backed off recognizing the signs of Caleb loosing control over his temper. Calming himself, he shot glares at both Tyler and Pogue.

"I don't know what your problem is Pogue, but you were outta line with your remarks. Do not transpose your own relationship problems onto someone else. Tyler did nothing wrong besides encouraging the argument to continue. Now we have a pissed off Irish woman to deal with and I for one am not looking forward to it. She is Irish and a woman who has been deeply insulted, not a good combination. I suggest that you both make amends, ASAP!"

Further down the road, Sarah laid a comforting hand on Aislinn's shoulder. The raven-haired woman was staring down at the ground as they listened to the raised voices.

"Kate? Why doesna yer mon like me?" The bewildered teen asked.

The mocha skinned woman opened her mouth to reply only finding that there was nothing she _could_ say. She had no idea why Pogue was being so harsh on Aislinn but she was even more discomfited to hear Caleb reference her and Pogue's failing relationship. She really hadn't thought that their troubles were that obvious, but apparently she was wrong.

"I don't know. Maybe Caleb is right and that Pogue is transferring some of his frustration with our relationship onto others."

"I'm sure if you just talked to Pogue and he got to know you a little better, his opinion would change." Sarah said soothingly.

Aislinn's eyes flashed silver in the moonlight as she looked up, fury contorting her face.

"I willna ne'er talk to that mon! He is horrible!"

Sarah winced as she expected Kate to blast Aislinn with a few choice words for calling Pogue horrible. Surprisingly, the fiery mocha skinned girl only shook her head.

"I can't say that I blame you for that. I honestly don't know what got into him."

"Come on guys. Let's go. We can check out Aislinn's room. Maybe have a genuine girl's night." Sarah said brightly.

Smiling slightly the Irish teen nodded her head in agreement. It would be nice to have company particularly after the night's events. Arm-in-arm the three girls walked on, leaving Reid standing there with a bemused look on his face.

While he never claimed to be the brightest of the bunch, he was surprised that only he picked up on what was wrong with Pogue. He would sit back and just let the fireworks explode around him, as the rabbit hole got deeper for his friend.

He smiled.

This would most certainly be entertaining.

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**A/N: **Ugghhh! A whole lot of nothing in that chapter, or is there? There is actually a lot of information there that will help build the story, which I'm sure you guys are figuring out.

I know I said that I might spend some more time with Tyler in Ireland, but I decided to do something else with it instead. I'll be referencing his time with Aislinn in future chapters.

I hope that this chapter wasn't too painful to read, but I had to establish things and interactions to help move the story along. I plan to have another chapter up by the end of the weekend then I'll start my story rotation. I have three different stories in three different fandoms that I will be updating regularly. I just wanted to get a good start to this one before I began the rotations.

Anyway, drop me a line and let me know what you think. I appreciate your reviews and support!

Thanks for reading.

F.L.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I do not claim to own The Covenant or any of the related characters. I am just borrowing them for some good ol' fun! I DO however own my plot and OC's, so please ask before borrowing. I have worked rather hard on my story idea and would appreciate it if you, the readers, dropped me a review to let me know your thoughts.**

**Crossroads of Destiny**

**Chapter 3**

_He floated in a vast sea of nothingness. No sound, no light, absolutely nothing could penetrate the Abyss he was trapped in for eternity. He raged, he fought and he pummeled through the darkness that was his prison, but to no avail. There was nothing he could do to escape. Neither completely dead, nor completely alive, he was stuck in this oppressive place, alone, and destined to remain that way for his crimes. His blood continuously boiled with fury and the absolute desire for revenge. His thoughts were dark and blood filled as visions of his retribution ruled his sinister mind causing his last threads of sanity to snap. Not aware of the passage of time, he only had one goal in mind._

_Escape._

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Aislinn checked her watch as she dashed back to her dorm room after having taken too long of a shower. She had to hurry, or she would be late for her audition with Mr. Myers, the music instructor. Carelessly dropping her shower things and wet towel on her bed she vigorously brushed her long hair, grimacing as she hit a large snarl. Frustrated, she twisted the wet mass of hair up and clipped it out of the way. Giving herself a once over she nodded in satisfaction that she looked professional and serious enough in her white mohair sweater and dark grey slacks. She grabbed her violin case, glad that there was already an amp in the auditorium and dashed out of her room. She ran down the hallway to the stairs descending them two at a time. She bumped into another student and without looking back shouted her apology as she continued on. She finally reached the Entrance Way to the dorms seeing both Kate and Sarah waiting for her.

"I'm sorry! I didna mean to make you wait." Aislinn breathed out upon reaching them.

Sarah waved her hand in dismissal. "We only just got here ourselves. Are you ready?"

Nodding briskly, the Irish teen followed her two new friends towards the music room. After returning to the dorms last night after the disaster at Nicky's, the three women had gathered in Aislinn's room for a night of true girly fun. It had helped the raven-haired woman ignore the encounter with Aaron Abbot and her brief flash of insight into the horrible teen's character.

The trio reached the doors of the auditorium slipping inside. Seating themselves in the back row, Sarah and Kate watched as Aislinn approached Mr. Myers who was on stage.

"This seat taken?"

Sarah jumped in surprise. She shook her head no as Reid and Tyler joined them.

"What are you doing here?" Kate leaned over and asked them.

"Moral support. And so that Baby Boy here can apologize."

Tyler scowled at Reid's flippant tone. "Actually, I had already told Aislinn that I would come when she scheduled the audition back in Ireland."

Nodding in understanding, the two women turned their attention back to the stage. Mr. Myers was walking off stage, seating himself in the front row as Aislinn carefully removed her gloves before reverently lifting her sleek electric violin from its case.

Caleb and Pogue joined the foursome in the back row as the Irish teen was plugging into the amp. Shifting seats a bit, all six of the back row spectators settled in as Aislinn quietly tuned her instrument.

"She is really good." Tyler said softly, already having heard her play back in Éire. He was surprised that Caleb and Pogue showed up, but from the disgruntled look on his longhaired friend's face, it was obvious that the eldest son of Ipswich had forced him to come. He figured that Sarah had asked Caleb to come, if for the sole reason to get to know Aislinn better.

Up on the stage, the petite woman had finished tuning her instrument and announced the piece she would be playing, after turning on the amp. Closing her eyes, she tapped her foot to start a rhythm and drew her bow across the strings. She let herself fall into the bliss that was music as her fingers flew over the strings and her bow moved swiftly.

"Unbelievable!" Sarah breathed as the powerful notes soared through the room causing her blood to sing in response.

"I told you she was good." Tyler said with pride.

Kate watched entranced at the graceful movements of her friend on stage. She glanced over at her boyfriend and was surprised to see his stony face. How could he be unmoved by the sheer power of the intricate piece she was obviously playing from memory?

Lost in her own world, Aislinn continued to play, imagining that she was back in her Máthair's room. She poured her heart and soul into the piece and as the final note died she opened her eyes.

Reid jumped to his feet and let out a loud whistle while Tyler, Sarah, Kate and Caleb stood up clapping. Blushing, Aislinn lowered her instrument and directed her attention to Mr. Myers who was beaming at her.

"Wonderful! Absolutely marvelous! You are most definitely in!"

Bowing her head slightly, the Irish teen allowed a large grin to appear on her face as she glowed from the praise.

"Thank you Mr. Myers."

"No, thank you Ms. Turlough. It is a real pleasure to have someone with your caliber of talent join us. I can say with absolute certainty that you will easily pass the test for first chair."

"What?"

"First Chair Ms.Turlough. I plan on having a little competition between you and Ms. March who is our current First Chair. It will be placed to a vote of course. I had originally thought that if you proved to be as good as reputed, that I would only have the orchestra members vote. But now that I've heard you, I think that it would be more fun to hold the competition for the entire school to vote on."

"I..I..I dunna know what to say! I ne'er wanted to replace anyone."

"Consider it not as a replacement, but as a god given right."

Aislinn nervously chewed her lip before nodding.

"Splendid! I will see you Monday at 4 PM, here. Now I have arrangements to make. It was an absolute pleasure Ms. Turlough and I look forward to the competition on Monday!"

With that, the energetic man bustled away leaving the petite teen onstage to gape after him.

"Aislinn! You were terrific!" Sarah squealed as she bounded up the stage stairs to give her friend a hug.

The raven haired woman was almost bowled over from the force that was Sarah Wenham, and carefully patted the blond on her back, making sure to only come in contact with her friend's shirt.

"Thanks Sarah. I was a bit nervous and I hoped that it was not too obvious."

The vibrant blond released her friend allowing the Irish teen to step back and retrieve her gloves after securing her instrument.

"Nervous? Girl, no way! Sure didn't look like it to me."

Aislinn smiled at Kate's statement. It was nice to already have support and loyalty from her two new friends. She was grabbed from behind and swung around.

"Reid Garwin, put me down this instant!" She said laughingly.

"As my lady commands." The blond man said releasing her with a mock bow.

Chuckling, Sarah leaned into Caleb as he; Tyler and Pogue joined them on stage.

"Well done Aislinn. I knew you would blow Mr. Myers away!"

"Thanks Tyler." The Irish woman said softly, smiling uncertainly at him. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Ah screw it." He muttered before engulfing the petite woman in a bear hug. "I'm sorry for my part of the argument last night. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know. It's OK. I'm not angry with you. I am glad that you came."

Reid felt it was necessary to interrupt their family bonding moment. "How come I don't get one of those?" He pouted, holding his arms open wide.

Tyler snorted, before releasing his cousin and approaching his best friend.

"Well, I don't really think that you are my type, but since I can't resist those puppy dog eyes, I guess I can give you _one_ hug."

He approached the blond man with a grin on his face causing Reid to back up holding his hands in front of him in protest.

Laughing at the look on his face, Tyler took pity on him and settled for giving his best friend a noogie. Shaking her head at their antics, Aislinn checked her instrument case, loosening her taut bow and unplugging the cord. Clicking the case shut, she made sure that the amp was off and that everything was in order before rejoining the group.

"I'm going to take this back to my dorm." The raven-haired woman said patting her violin case affectionately.

"We'll come with you." Sarah said cheerfully looping her arm through Aislinn's.

"Oh, that's not really necessary. I don't want to hold you up from enjoying your Saturday."

Waving off the Irish teen's protest, Sarah steered her friend out of the auditorium doors.

"Nonsense! Part of enjoying the weekend, particularly the weekend after mid terms, is being able to hang out with your friends, which you happen to be. Plus you are new here, and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't at least show you a good time your first few days here?"

"She's right you know." Kate said from Aislinn's other side. "Besides, how will you know who to avoid if we don't point them out to you?"

Ascending the stairs, the trio of girls weren't paying attention the Sons of Ipswich that trailed after them. Caleb watched his girlfriend with a half smile as she talked a mile a minute to her new friend.

"Sarah seems to like her." Pogue said suddenly.

Caleb slowed his pace allowing the girls to get farther ahead with Reid and Tyler following the trio closely. He cocked his head at his best friend.

"Yes she does. So does Kate." The coven leader pointed out.

Pogue snorted. "Yeah, well, Sarah likes everybody."

"Nah. She only pretends to like everybody. Except for Aaron Abbott and Kira March."

"Those two are made for each other. Both are sluts and fucking annoying as hell. Besides the brainless idiots that follow them, I don't know anyone who really does like Abbott and March."

Caleb laughed at his friend's accurate description of the two biggest whores in the school. "I wonder how Kira will take it when Aislinn kicks her ass at the music competition."

Pogue shrugged. "Who cares?"

Eyeing his longhaired friend, Caleb wondered how to approach his next topic. Deciding bluntness was the best option he stopped walking completely and grasped his friend's arm.

"Pogue, what is going on with you lately? Is it the whole thing with your bike accident? Collins? Kate? Something been eating at you man and it's making you a real asshole at times."

Jerking his arm away Pogue stared into his best friend's eyes. "I'm always an asshole Caleb."

Shaking his head negatively the handsome Head of the Coven sighed. "You were always an ass Pogue, but not like this. The things you said last night about Aislinn were unjustified and uncalled for. Hell man, even you have to know that! You adore women, you always have! Are things really that bad with Kate that you would treat a coven brother's family member so poorly?"

Snarling, Pogue shoved the taller man into the wall.

"Back off Caleb! What's up with me and Kate does not concern you!"

The eldest Son of Ipswich let his eyes grow black as he thundered his displeasure.

"The fuck it doesn't Pogue! You are the next to Ascend and if you can't get your emotions into some semblance of control, you are fucked! We _all_ will be fucked!"

Breathing hard, the two men stared at each other. Caleb calmed himself down and ran a hand through his hair.

"Pogue, man, just talk to me! Please."

Sighing the handsome longhaired man closed his eyes briefly. "I don't know Caleb. I don't know what is wrong with me. I feel like my emotions are out of whack and I don't have control of anything anymore. Not Kate and me, not school, not even my powers."

Silence reigned between the two men for a few moments.

"You're worried about the Ascension." Caleb stated bluntly.

"Weren't you?" Pogue countered.

"Of course I was. Particularly with the added pleasure of Mr. Chase Collins. Pogue, you'll be fine. There is no Chase to worry about anymore."

"I know that! It's just that there is something off. Something is not right. I can _feel_ it. I can't describe it, but something is going to happen and I don't think it will be something good."

"I know."

Pogue stared in shock at his best friend. "What?!"

Caleb sighed. "I feel it to. Everyday. I didn't tell you guys because I didn't want anyone to worry. That is why I am so cautious about Aislinn, or any one new entering our lives, our circle of friends."

"You still should've told me! At least then I wouldn't feel like I was going crazy!"

"Pogue, the fact that you can even sense something coming our way is a true testament to your growing power. You _will_ be ready to Ascend when it is time. We _will_ face whatever comes our way, together, like true brothers of our coven."

"I didn't know you were one for inspirational speeches." Pogue said dryly.

Laughing, Caleb slapped his friend's shoulder. "What can I say, you bring out the sappiness in me."

Shoving his friend, Pogue shook his head. "We had better catch up with the others before they send a search party for us."

"I wonder if they've decided on what to do yet." Caleb said as the two men started walking towards the dorms.

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"Nice place!" Reid whistled as he looked around Aislinn's room.

She shrugged, placing her violin case on the bench at the foot of her bed. "It works."

Tyler laughed. "That's because you are used to living in a fucking castle!"

"Don't swear." The beautiful Irish teen said automatically causing Reid to double over in laughter at her rebuke.

"So, what do you want to do?" Sarah asked leaping onto Aislinn's neatly made bed.

Absently pulling out jeans and a shirt from her dresser, the raven-haired woman chewed her lip in thought.

"I know what I would like to do, but I doubt that any of you would be game."

"What do you want to do?" Kate asked curiously.

"Swimming."

Tyler burst out in laughter, half expecting her quick response. "Man, I should've known!"

"You want to go swimming. Now?" Reid asked in disbelief.

"Why not? I used to go swimming daily back home. I miss it. Are students not allowed to use the pool on weekends?"

"No we are allowed. You any good?"

Tyler laughed at his best friend's question, knowing what was on his mind. He winked at his cousin who had developed a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"I'm decent enough. I did beat Tyler before, but that was in the ocean and I think he let me."

Reid looked at Aislinn's innocent posture and expression. "Okay, I'm game. Wanna race?"

She shrugged. "Sure. What are the stakes?"

Reid raised his brows. "You want to bet on our race? Sweetheart, I have to warn you that I am on the swim team, the same swim team that won at Nationals last year."

"Wow. It sounds like you are good. Now I am a bit nervous about swimming against you. But, I feel like I am on top of the world after my audition so I think I will race you anyway."

Tyler tried his best to maintain a straight face at Aislinn's wide-eyed innocent expression. Sarah glanced at him curiously as a strangled cough escaped his throat. He shook his head at her look. Kate was quick to pick up on Aislinn's act.

"I think a race is an excellent idea!" She exclaimed in support of her devious friend.

"So what are the stakes?" Reid asked.

"I think that if I win, which appears to be a bit of a long shot, that tonight all of us go out somewhere and you have to wear a dress and wait on me hand and foot the entire time. Oh, and make-up too. In fact, us girls will have to dress you completely."

"Ha! Like _that's_ going to happen. Okay, I agree. But if I win, you will have to follow me around like a fan girl and pretend that you adore me and act like I walk on water whenever you are in public for an entire week."

"Reid, a week? That's not very fair." Sarah pointed out.

Aislinn held up her hand. "No, no. That's fine. I accept your terms Mr. Garwin. Meet you at the pool in fifteen minutes?"

"You got it Babe! See you there!" With that, the blond man exited her room, dragging Tyler with him.

After they left, Sarah whirled around to face Aislinn. "Are you insane? Reid is one of the best on the team! Why did you take his outrageous bet?"

"Relax Sarah. Reid may be good, but I am better. I will not lose." The Irish teen said gathering her sports bag and tossing in a couple of towels and a spare outfit. She went behind her dressing screen to change into her swimsuit. Maybe she was wrong when she had told Tyler the first night she met him that she would not socialize with his friends. She smirked. This was going to be fun!

Walking out from behind the screen, she pulled on a pair of track pants and a zip up sweatshirt. Twisting her hair in a bun she secured it with a hair band. Seeing Sarah's skeptical expression, Aislinn turned around to face her friend, slipping on a pair of flip-flops.

"Don't worry so much. Trust me, I will win. Then we can have the pleasure of dressing up Mr. Reid Garwin to our heart's content."

Kate burst out laughing. "Girl, I think she's right. She really will win."

As the trio prepared to leave the room, Sarah asked on more question. "It's not that I doubt you but how can you be so confident?"

"I am a daughter of Éire. We do not fail."

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"Are you serious?" Caleb asked incredibly as Tyler filled him and Pogue in on what happened as they walked through the pool doors. "Is she insane?"

"Naw man! She's actually really, really good. Olympic level good. She actually kicked my ass every time we raced."

"Does Reid know that?"

"She may have mentioned beating me _once_." Tyler said with a grin.

Caleb shook his head. "I actually hope she wins. Seeing Reid in a dress will _soooo_ make my year!"

Pogue snorted. "That's if she wins." He muttered as they joined Sarah, Kate and Aislinn who was stretching her legs on the bench.

"Course I'll win you rude mon! Then I can race ye and humiliate ye!" the Irish woman said not taking her attention away from her stretches.

"I'd love to see you try, princess!" He shot back, irate at her remark.

"No' a problem mon. Name the time an' place."

"Alright, you two. Peace. We are all here for some fun and to see Reid get his ass kicked." Caleb interjected.

"Fifty bucks says girlie here gets her ass handed to her!" Pogue said loudly hoping to anger the raven-haired woman.

"I'll take that bet." Tyler said suddenly. "Anyone else want in on this?"

Aislinn shook her head as they argued back and forth drawing a small crowd. To her distaste she saw Aaron Abbott with a slightly frizzy haired girl hanging off of his arm approaching the group. She slipped behind the small crowd to a bench further away and breathed deeply as she removed her zip up sweatshirt and track pants. She peeled off her gloves, and stood there, enjoying the warm moist air, waiting for Reid.

"So we gonna do this?"

She smiled as her opponent joined her. "But of course. How do you want this to work?"

"You're not getting a head start you know."

She scoffed loudly. "I don't need one. Freestyle. One full lap of the pool, down and back?"

He nodded in agreement. "Who's calling the start?'

She shrugged, unsure. "You pick. I don't really know anyone here. And why _are_ there so many people here?"

"Are you kidding? Everyone is curious about the new student, particularly someone who dared to challenge one of the Sons of Ipswich to a race."

"But how did they get here so fast?" She asked nervously eyeing a rather large group of students just entering the pool area.

"Scared?" Reid asked with amusement. She shot him a glare, her grey eyes flashing. He opted to answer her question. "It's called technology babe. Cell phones are a wondrous thing you know. You can e-mail, listen to music, surf the web, take photos…" He trailed off eyeing her figure up and down with an appreciating look.

"Stop it mon! Ye are gettin' on my nerves" She hissed, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

He smirked widely. Unnerve the opponent, a classic ploy, but one that seemingly worked excellently on naïve, sheltered girls. Perfect.

"You two ready?" Caleb asked approaching them. "I'm calling the race so there will be no concern for interference."

They both nodded. Reid pulled down his goggles, not seeing Aislinn smile at that. Poor Reid. He had no idea just how relaxed she _really_ was. Caleb whistled for silence and everyone assembled took seats. He addressed them in a loud voice.

"Alright. They will be swimming one full lap, down and back. The one who touches the wall first will win. Seeing as how quite a few of you have money riding on this race I suggest you show your support."

"1.."

"2.."

"3.."

"GO!"

Tyler watched as both of the swimmers took off like a rocket, evenly matched. Halfway down, Reid began to slowly pull ahead, barely at first, but then further as they reached the wall. Aislinn executed a flawless roll as she pushed off from the wall shooting through the water at an unbelievable speed. She quickly reached Reid and began to over take him, her strokes steady.

Sarah grasped Kate's arm excitedly as Aislinn pulled ahead a full body length. Both women were cheering loudly for their new friend as were quite a few of the spectators. Pogue sat next to Tyler, his face expressionless as he watched Aislinn touch the wall almost an entire body length ahead of Reid.

"The winner is Aislinn Turlough!" Caleb shouted as Reid and the Irish woman breathed heavily from exertion.

"I can't believe I lost to you!" Reid exclaimed as they exited the pool.

"Why? Because I'm a girl?" she asked warily as she reached her towel and wrapped it around her waist.

"Yes! No! I mean I don't know! I hate loosing!" He sulked as he dried off.

"That was amazing!" Sarah gushed as she and Kate rushed up to Aislinn to congratulate her. The petite teen backed up a few steps and held up her hands.

"I am soaking wet here. Let me at least throw on my clothes!" She said laughingly.

"Girl, is there nothing you can't do? You swim, you play the violin, and you are a brain. Tyler told us that you got placed into all advanced classes." Kate said as Aislinn pulled on her track pants.

"I can't sing. Or cook. Or sew. Oh, and I am really horrible at anything having to do with art!"

That caused the trio of girls to burst into laughter drawing attention their way. Unwanted attention.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here boys. A Nubian princess, a blond goddess and a water nymph. And would you look at that! There are three of us and none of their men are around to pay them any attention. Too busy razzing Garwin."

"Abbott." Kate said coldly as Jason Saunders eyed her. "What do you want?"

Aaron and his cronies stepped towards the three girls causing them to back up.

"Why to congratulate the lovely winner of that little race you just held."

Aislinn lifted her chin noticing how both of the teens standing next to Aaron were eyeing Kate and Sarah hungrily. Abbot only had eyes for her though and she felt a tremor of fear slide through her. The trio of men advanced even further on the girls, who in a matter of a less than a minute had moved quite a distance from the crowd.

"We'll scream." Sarah warned as their backs came in contact with the pool doors.

"I don't think so." Steve Baker said leaning in close to the blond woman.

"Believe it asshole!" Kate opened her mouth to shout for help, but Jason covered her mouth with his hand. Her eyes darted to the side wildly as she saw both Sarah and Aislinn in the same predicament. Where, oh where, were the guys?

They were shoved roughly out of the doors and into the hallway. The women struggled as they were forced further down the deserted hallway and into a nearby empty room.

"Fuck!" Jason shouted Kate bit his hand. He back handed her and knocked her into a small bookshelf. She shakily wiped blood from her lip.

Sarah became wild at seeing her best friend treated so roughly. She clawed and kicked at Steve to release his hold on her. She couldn't get herself situated enough to bite her own assailant so she resorted to muffled screams. One of her wild kicks hit home as Steve threw her away from him with a roar. She crashed into the opposite wall, her head connecting with an alarming crunch. She slid limply to the floor.

Jason yanked the shaken Kate to her feet and put her into a chokehold as Steve advanced on the comatose Sarah. Aislinn stood rooted to the spot her back pressed against Aaron's chest.

"Do you see what happens when you defy my wishes?" He purred in her ear. Her grey eyes were locked on Kate's fear filled eyes.

"Now be a good girl and don't scream." He slowly removed his hand from her mouth and trailed it along her jaw line. She clenched her fists in anger careful to avoid touching him with her bared hands.

"Last night, you weren't very nice. There I was, only wanting to dance with you and you had to be a bitch!" He lashed out with his fist, striking her in the face. She spat out blood from her split lip.

"Look at that. This Irish bitch does bleed red after all!"

Aislinn kept her eyes focused on Kate's horrified face.

"Go t' hell. Ye are naught but a wee bully who gets jollies from hurtin' women."

"What was that?" Abbott asked lowly.

"Ye heard me mon! Ye canna get a woman willingly so ye resort ta violence!"

"If I were you bitch, I would watch what I said." He motioned to Jason who fisted Kate's hair, violently yanking her head back.

"Stop! I will cooperate wit ye. Dunna hurt her!" Jason released his painful grip on Kate's hair.

"What do ye want?" Aislinn asked dully looking down unwilling to see the triumph in Aaron's eyes. He chuckled at her question. Leaning in close he spoke one word.

"You."

She shuddered at his tone, snapping her eyes up. There was no mistaking his meaning, and Kate's panicked eyes proved that.

"Why? Ye have ta know ye willna get away wit' this!"

He laughed loudly and released his hold on her. Distantly, she could hear Tyler's voice calling for her. She sent a silent message, pleading with Kate to stay still. She didn't want her friend hurt like Sarah was. Understanding flashed in Kate's eyes.

Aislinn was going to do something stupid. She had to so she could help her comatose friend.

"I have fucked skinny bitches, fatties, sluts, virgins, poor ones, rich ones but I've never fucked an Irish one."

He leaned in close. "I _always_ get away with what I do. One of the perks of having a father in the state Supreme Court is that I can get away with all sorts of _fun_ things."

Hearing her name being called again, this time closer, she took a deep breath while the three men's eyes were fixed on the classroom door.

"TYLER…..HELP US!!!!!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, dashing towards Jason and knocking him off balance, but not before Abbott managed to deliver a blow to the side of her head. Freed, Kate quickly kicked out towards Aaron who had been rushing towards Aislinn, effectively knocking him down.

Enraged, Jason grabbed Aislinn by her neck and lifted her clear off of the floor, seemingly intent on choking the life from her. Kate screamed as Steve leapt at her intent on tackling her to the ground.

The classroom door exploded inwards, sending all of the occupants flying. Covered in dust and debris, Aislinn coughed as she spared Kate a glance, seeing that her mocha skinned friend was all right. She weakly crawled over to where Sarah's prone body lay, ignoring the crashing and yells in the background.

The Irish teen held her bare hands on either side of her blond friend's head and tried to concentrate on Sarah's injury. She was so tired and her head was throbbing. She wanted to close her eyes so badly as her friend's face swam in and out of focus, but calling on all of her considerable willpower, the raven-haired teen was able to concentrate as her healing power swirled inside of her. A soft white glow surrounded her hands as she gave up part of her own strength and life force to help her hurt friend.

Feeling the now healed woman stir under her hands, Aislinn sighed in relief before pitching to the side as darkness consumed her, unaware of the panicked hands that cradled her head, calling her name.

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**A/N: **As a hint, in the first chapter I had said that Aislinn was _thrice blessed_. Keep that in mind as the story unfolds. I will be working on the next chapter tonight and I hope to have it posted by this weekend. I know some of you may possibly have some confusion, but that should be cleared up bit by bit as we go along.

Now, I don't know Kira's last name so I made one up. Lazy of me not to try to research it, I know. So for this story her name will be Kira March.

**Also, a big THANK YOU to those of you who have been considerate enough to review! Please keep it up!**

I have been discouraged from the lack of reviews that I have received so far. I realize that I only have 2 chapters posted (this one makes three), but I still would like to hear from you. More reviews more/faster posting. Please hook up a starving writer! Take 30 seconds and drop me a line.

Thanks for reading everyone!

F.L.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I do not claim to own The Covenant or any of the related characters. I am just borrowing them for some good ol' fun! I DO however own my plot and OC's, so please ask before borrowing. I have worked rather hard on my story idea and would appreciate it if you, the readers, dropped me a review to let me know your thoughts.**

**Crossroads of Destiny**

**Chapter 4**

_She was floating, surrounded by warmth. What happened? Why couldn't she open her eyes? Wait…. Sarah! Was she okay?_

"_Aislinn…."_

"_Máthair?" She asked confusedly. "Máthair, I am verra sorry I disobeyed ye. I had ta! She was badly hurt, I had ta heal her!"_

_She felt a warm hand on her forehead._

"_Ssshhhh…."_

"_Máthair?" She struggled to sit up. "I didna mean ta expose my power! But it was only tha' healin' one I used!"_

"_It is alright Aislinn."_

"_Ye are na angry wit me?"_

_Silence greeted her question. She felt hot tears escaping from behind her closed eyes._

"_Máthair, I meant na harm! I dunna think anyone saw. I couldna let Sarah just lay there. Even at the risk o' my own life."_

"_Your life was at risk?"_

_Aislinn scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. Was it her, or did her grandmother's voice get deeper?_

"_Máthair, what kind o' question is that? You know e'ery time I heal, I give up part of my own health, my own life force."_

"_Forgive me child. I forgot."_

_Aislinn smiled in satisfaction. No, her Máthair's voice was fine. It was her imagination._

"_Máthair, I love ye. Please dunna leave me again! I dunna belong here! I dunna belong an'where but Éire! I have ta go back! Hamilton will find me easily. He wants Éire. He is powerful. He doesna know that we know about him though, or his coven. He doesna know I had that vision, the one you told me na ta share with anyone."_

"_Do not worry child. You will be fine here. Just rest."_

"_Yes. Rest. I need ta rest. Watch o'er me Máthair. Dunna let them get ta me, na like they killed Bridie. Poor Bridie. She wasna destined to be thrice blessed."_

_She drifted off into unconsciousness feeling the weight of a comforting hand upon her forehead. Yes, Máthair would watch over her._

Alana sighed as she removed her hand from Aislinn's forehead. "She is sleeping again. She still burns with a fever, but it has lessened."

"She'll be okay though, right?"

"Yes, Sarah. She will recover with rest. She…she did too much in healing you with her own injuries."

Alana faced the silent occupants in the room. Glancing at the unconscious woman on the bed she addressed Evelyn Danvers.

"Evelyn, let us adjourn to the parlor to discuss what just happened."

"Discuss what? I have nothing to discuss! She lied to us! She lied to me!" Tyler said bitterly.

"Tyler Sims! She did no such thing! She was following her clan's code of silence!"

"No mother! I will not stay and listen to whatever explanation you deem necessary to tell me _now_! You had the chance to tell me what was _really_ going on with _that_ Turlough and you did not!"

Alana flinched at her only son's raised tone. "Tyler, I couldn't… it was…it _is_ forbidden to discuss anything about their bloodline unless you were considered part of the Turlough clan! And even then you still need the blessing of the Head of the Clan! You should understand that! As a Son of Ipswich, you know all about keeping family secrets."

Caleb intervened before the argument could escalate further. "Look, let's go downstairs and discuss this calmly like adults." He fixed Tyler with a stern look, exerting his power as coven leader. "_All_ of us."

Tyler pressed his lips in a thin line before he gave Caleb a curt nod. Reid and Pogue who had been standing silently listening to the proceedings nodded their assent as well. Alana and Evelyn led the way out of the bedroom, Tyler and Reid following.

"I will stay here." Sarah said softly as she pulled her chair to Aislinn's side. "Besides Kate is going to call me from the hospital and let me know what Abbott and his friends remember, if anything."

Wisely, no one remarked on the fact that Kate was going to contact Sarah and not Pogue. Caleb sighed, running his fingers through his short hair.

"Be careful. We don't know what she is capable of yet." He warned.

The blond scoffed. "She won't hurt me. She saved me, remember? And at the risk of her own health, I might add."

Caleb observed the resolute face of his girlfriend. "Okay." He said quietly before leaving the room.

Pogue stayed a moment longer, a thoughtful look on his handsome face.

"She's not evil you know Pogue. Or spoiled, fake, or even helpless. She is just Aislinn. She bleeds like the rest of us do and has feelings like the rest of us. You should try being nicer to her."

Not saying anything in response, the longhaired man walked out of the room silently, his thoughts weighing heavily on him.

A pair of slitted grey eyes watched him coolly as he left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alana Sims paced in front of the unlit hearth in the parlor room at the Danvers Manor. She clasped her hands in front of her taking a deep breath, getting ready to explain to the gathered audience what she knew of the Turlough clan.

"Aislinn comes from a long bloodline, descended from the ancient royal line of Ciardha, rumored to be blessed with fey blood. Some call it Irish superstition, that there isn't such a thing as fey blood. Regardless, she is in fact the absolute last living relative descended from the royal line."

"She's royalty?" Reid asked incredulously.

"The Ciardha bloodline has been diluted over a millennia, and there is no recognized royal bloodline in Ireland today. If there was, then yes, you could consider her royalty. But in all honestly, that is not nearly as important as her position as the Head of the Turlough clan. Or her supposed fey blood which gives her certain abilities."

"Wait, when you say fey, you mean like David Bowie in _Labyrinth_?"

"Reid, shut up."

"No, I'm serious Pogue! It was an honest question."

"Gentlemen, I believe what Alana is referring to could be most likened to Avalon." Evelyn said coolly. Alana thanked her friend before continuing.

"And yes, before you ask, King Arthur's Avalon. Tatiana, queen of the fey, has been attributed to birthing the first Ciardha, if you can believe in something like that. Though that is entirely off point. As Head of the Turlough clan, Aislinn has the responsibility of the welfare of her entire clan and her family's legacy. Many would do whatever was necessary to get their hands on her and her assets. Such as murder."

Caleb was the first to catch on. "Bridie, who was she?"

Alana's face adopted a faraway look. "Bridie was Aislinn's twin, the firstborn of the two. Their mother died in childbirth and the girls were secreted away by Brigid Turlough, their grandmother and the Matriarch of the Turlough clan. It had been foretold ages ago, that a thrice blessed one would be born, thus renewing the magic in the bloodline. The last Turlough who had been thrice blessed was over four centuries ago. The prophecy was told by one of the family's strongest seers, who knew the exact date of the blessed one's birth. She had it written down in the family annals. The seer died three hundred years ago." She paused emphasizing that fact.

"This prophecy is the reason that Bridie was murdered. It happened when she and Aislinn were only five. A grounds man that had been newly hired was the one to do the deed. He had been contracted by an English lord to kill the heir of the prophecy. It was not common knowledge that twins were born on that foretold day, so when the grounds man, by a fluke had caught sight of Bridie once, he thought that she was the thrice-blessed one. He killed that poor girl in cold blood. To this day Aislinn refuses to speak of it."

"What exactly does thrice blessed mean?" Tyler asked curiously, unable to help his interest. He felt his anger waning throughout his mother's tale.

Alana smile faintly. "For generations, women of the Turlough clan had been blessed with either Sight, Empathy or Healing. It wasn't until a few generations back that the blessed ones became more and more scarce, thus causing the clan to pin their hopes on the prophecy. To be thrice blessed means to have all three of the powers, becoming the strongest of all. But it comes with a terrible price."

Her face fell as she stared absently out the window.

"Alana, please continue." Evelyn said evenly, recognizing the signs of one who had to depart bad news.

"As you know, healing takes it toll on the holder of that power. Every time that power is used it takes the energy, the life force of the one who carries the ability. Depending on the severity of the injury or sickness, dictates the survival of the blessed one."

"So Aislinn could die if she healed someone with a life threatening injury." Pogue said slowly.

"Yes. Though she is much, much stronger than the normal healers."

"Because she has all three abilities." Caleb stated astutely.

Alana nodded. "Correct. Healing is the only one she has control over. Her power of Sight she prevents by simply hiding behind her gloves. Skin on skin contact with her bare hands could possibly trigger a vision. Her eyes will go white and she cannot discern between reality and what she _sees_. This has occasionally triggered her last and most unstable ability, her Empathy. With this ability, Aislinn can sense others emotions, as well as essentially becoming a human lie detector. She cannot read minds, but she can read emotions. Eventually, she will be able to project emotions into people. She would be able to soothe someone or even drive them insane."

Reid whistled lowly. "How does she gain control?"

Alana shook her head. "I don't know. That is the hard part. But she has to learn control, or she will die. Much like you boys, Aislinn will inherit the full strength of her powers on her eighteenth birthday. While, she is unable to do what your four can, her powers can and will drive her to madness. She can easily have a heart attack or a stroke if she is overwhelmed with her powers and lacks the control that she needs."

"Can't she just heal herself?"

"No Tyler. The curse of a Turlough healer is that you cannot heal yourself."

"Mom, we can't let her die! Why didn't she tell us?"

"I did not tell you for fear of you not understanding. As the Sons of Ipswich, you have a covenant of secrecy that cannot be broken. What would happen if you learned of another with powers, very different powers than yours? You would feel threatened and most likely strive to eliminate the supposed threat."

Aislinn walked into the room, leaning heavily on Sarah. Reid jumped up, silently offering his seat to the weary woman. She smiled in gratitude allowing Sarah to lead her over to the loveseat where she sat in relief. Tyler, the other occupant of the loveseat furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Why would you think that we would hurt you?"

She laughed bitterly. "All people are afraid of what they do not understand and sometimes jump to incorrect conclusions as a result. Besides, you are teenage boys. Testosterone rules your actions. Anything that makes you uneasy you attack."

"How would you know? You don't know us well enough to make that assumption." Pogue pointed out.

"And I do not plan on getting to know any of you further."

"What do you mean by that? I thought we were becoming friends!" Reid demanded, hurt seeping from his tone of voice.

Aislinn sighed deeply before turning to look at Reid. "I am going home."

Sarah cringed at hearing that. While the Irish teen had explained her reasoning to the blond woman before coming downstairs, she knew that the boys would protest.

"WHAT? WHY?" Tyler roared.

Tears filled the beautiful raven-haired woman's eyes. She cast her gaze around the room finding shock, disapproval and hurt on their faces.

"I canna risk any of yo'r lives! I dunna have control and I willna be put in a position where I could verra well hurt ye!" She said desperately.

"Look, you know our secret and now we know yours. We can help each other." Caleb said evenly, glancing at his distressed girlfriend.

Aislinn glanced down at her bare hands before looking at the eldest Son of Ipswich. "Come here."

Raising his brow, Caleb hesitated before walking over to stand in front of her. Shakily she reached out and grasped his hand. She didn't know why, but instinct told her that he was the one she had touch.

Her eyes flashed white and she froze in place, hanging onto Caleb who had tried to detract his hand.

"No." She whispered, her voice ethereal. "Do not move."

The room watched in a tense silence as Aislinn's body stiffened and she began to breathe heavily. She threw her head back and released a blood-curdling scream startling the room's occupants. She slumped to the side, releasing her grip on his hand.

"Aislinn, what did you see?" Alana asked cautiously approaching the loveseat.

Opening her eyes, the teen responded hoarsely. "A ghost. I saw a ghost, come back to harm ye. All of ye."

Evelyn crossed over to the sideboard and poured a glass of water, offering it to the distressed teen. Taking it gratefully, Aislinn drank deeply.

"What do you mean you saw a ghost?" Pogue asked warily.

She fixed her grey eyes on him. "One that Caleb has battled and vanquished will come forth from the nethers. He will be stronger and faster. He willna stop til he kills ye all."

"Collins. Chase Collins."

Aislinn nodded her head at Caleb's statement. "He wants power. He will be released by my clan's mortal enemy, the coven we call Crón Draiocht. That is why I canna stay! I have ta stop them from resurrecting tha' monster!"

"Aislinn, Brigid warned me that something like this might happen." Alana said gravely. "She also told me that you were not to return to Éire until you gained the control you need."

"You can not stop me." The Irish teen warned.

"That is where you are wrong Aislinn. Your Máthair left explicit instructions if this type of situation arose. I was told to give you this."

The older woman withdrew a fat envelope from her jacket and handed it to the silent teen. The petite woman delicately opened the contents and stifled a gasp as an antique necklace tumbled out. She lifted it with trembling hands and stared at the crimson stones set in the engraved silver inlay of the clan's crest. She quickly pulled out the letter and scanned it swiftly.

Tyler craned his neck trying to read over her shoulder but was disappointed to find that it was written in Gaelic. He watched his cousin's reaction closely as she grew paler. Her grip on the amulet tightened as she crumpled and flung the letter far from her. She stood abruptly; her chest heaving and eyes shining silver from her fury. She looked distastefully at the necklace she held in her hand before throwing it across the room where it slid out into the hallway. She was pacing, foreign words spilling from her mouth with alarming speed.

"Did you know about this?" She spat out, her glare focused on Alana.

"Yes."

A sudden wave of energy crackled through the room, as the air around Aislinn began to pulse.

"And ye dinna think ta tell me?"

"Hey, don't shout at her!"

"Back off Tyler! This doesna concern ye!"

"Aislinn…Child, I am so sorry…."

"I am na a child! That damnable letter has proven that! And ye will be sorry if this goes through! Verra sorry!"

The enraged woman spun on her heel and left the room leaving a gaping audience behind. The front door slammed, the sound echoing off of the walls.

"Mom, what did you do?" Tyler asked carefully as Evelyn Danvers retrieved the crumpled letter from the floor.

"I did not do anything. It was all Brigid's doing, though even I am wondering at the daft woman's motives."

"Tell us."

"I can't. At least not now. All of you should go. It's been a long day and I think that maybe someone should check in with Kate."

Mumbling, the teenagers reluctantly left the room pausing in the hallway, well out of sight. Pogue's foot brushed against a glittering object on the floor. He picked it up and pocketed it resolving to return the necklace to its owner.

"Alana, this handwriting, it seems rather masculine."

"That's because it is Evelyn. That is a betrothal contract you hold."

The group of students stared at each other, stunned.

"So? I am not clear as to why that girl got so upset in the first place. How is this betrothal going to keep her here?"

"She won't be in a hurry to return home until she has full control. You felt that wave of energy. That was her loosing control over her anger. Believe me, it could've been much worse."

"I still don't understand why this contract would cause her so much anger."

The eavesdropping teens edged closer to the door, waiting with bated breath.

"Because Evelyn, the old bat, betrothed her only grand daughter to the sole heir of the Turlough's clan's deadliest enemy. Jasper Hamilton. If Aislinn returns home now, without control, she goes to her death and she knows it. At least here she has time to learn to work with her powers and will stand a fighting chance."

"Surely you are joking!"

"I only wish I was Evelyn. If Aislinn returns to Éire now, she _will_ die."

Sarah covered her mouth in dismay. Caleb's grip on her free hand tightened.

"Alana, you _are_ serious! But why would this Hamilton want to kill her? She is beautiful, powerful and of course loaded. Any man would adore and worship her!"

"I never told Aislinn, but Brigid and I have been preparing for Aislinn to come and live here for the past five years. I was sworn to secrecy about a great many things, and this was one of them. Hamilton lusts after Éire something fierce, but his obsession with Aislinn is much more worrisome. He loves and hates her with a burning passion that literally rival the fires of hell. For generations the men of Crón Draiocht have been doomed or actually I should say cursed to fall in love with the women of the Turlough clan. This of course has caused numerous hatred and deaths on both sides over the centuries."

"Wasn't this Crón Draiocht the coven Aislinn was talking about?"

"Evelyn, you have to swear not to tell soul what I've told you now and what I'm going to tell you."

"I swear."

"You are correct that they are the coven she was referring to. Jasper Hamilton is the Head of the coven as the Hamilton line has always been. They are the strongest with magic and each generation gets stronger and stronger. Aislinn will have one hell of a battle ahead of her and I hope that she won't have to face it alone. There is a reason that fate has brought the boys and her together and I believe that they can achieve a lot if they can learn to trust each other and work together."

Not wanting to hear any more, Tyler walked away silently, his thoughts miles away. What else was his mother privy to? He was hard pressed to think of Aislinn as the cousin he had befriended and not as some sort of legendary super witch. He stood outside of the Danver's mansion and breathed in the crisp autumn air.

"Ty? What's up man?"

"Just thinking."

Reid snorted. "I think we all are."

"Yeah."

The two friends stood in silence watching the wind lift and toss about the dead leaves.

"What do you think Aislinn will do?"

Tyler shrugged. "I don't know. But if she plans on returning to Ireland I'm going to kick her ass."

"I'll help you with that."

Both men turned around at Sarah's statement. The blond wore a look of fierce determination.

"She saved my life! The least I can do is help protect hers, even if that means knocking some sense into her!"

Caleb smiled wryly at his girlfriend's declaration.

"We have to decide what we are going to do. Not only about Aislinn's situation, but about her vision. She saw this coven that Hamilton is the leader of resurrect Collins. I for one really don't want to deal with him particularly since we are nearing Pogue's ascension."

"I don't think we have a choice Caleb." Pogue said joining the group.

"Could her vision be wrong?" Reid asked.

Sarah shook her head. "No. Right after you left the bedroom, Aislinn woke up. She knew what was going on with your meeting downstairs and opted to tell me some things herself. One of them was that her Sight is always correct. She told me…."

The pretty blond paused her eyes staring at nothing.

"She told you what?" Tyler prompted.

Sarah shook herself before continuing. "She told me that sometimes the meaning of her visions are hidden or not expected. In order to understand her visions fully, the key is to expect the unexpected."

"Expect the unexpected? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Reid demanded.

Pogue snorted. "It means that while the answer may seem obvious it isn't always what needs to be done. She has to look at all angles to get a feel for the truth."

"How do you know that?"

The longhaired man rolled his eyes. "Because, I actually paid attention in mythology class Sophmore year. Remember we did a project of seers vs. frauds?"

"Ohhh yeah. I remember now!" Suddenly the blond man's eyes got wide. "That's it!"

"Uhh, what is 'it'?" Tyler asked his excited friend.

"The Turlough seer! All we have to do is research seers for the past three, four hundred years in Ireland, and maybe we can get our hands on the prophecy!"

"What good is that going to do? We already know the prophecy!"

"No, Tyler, I think Reid may be on to something. We offer a different perspective since we are not part of the clan. There might be something in there that could help."

"Help with what?" Tyler asked confused by Caleb's statement.

"Help with Aislinn controlling her powers, dumb ass!"

"Fuck you Reid! And what makes you think that a dead woman's words regarding a thrice blessed one will be any more insightful than what we learned today?"

Caleb sighed. "I don't know if it will be helpful or not. But it may point us in the right direction. Aislinn and we are all linked now. Mrs. Sims was right when she said fate brought us together. The Sons of Ipswich are very powerful but so is the Daughter of Éire. Maybe we were brought together to stop this coven and Collins."

Pogue cocked his head to the side. "Wow, two inspirational speeches in one day. I didn't know you had it in you."

Caleb shoved his friend none to gently. "Shut it Pogue."

Sarah jumped startled as her pocket began to vibrate. Quickly pulling out her cell phone she flipped it open while walking away from the boys.

"Kate, talk to me. What's the deal?"

"_Abbott has no idea what happened. He apparently doesn't even remember seeing the swim race. His two Neanderthal friends are rather dazed and confused as well. They seem to think that they were in the old science lab working on some sort of chemistry experiment that went haywire."_

"Are the authorities going with that story?"

"_Yeah. They figured that it was a bunch of kids screwing around. Since the explosion was minor and only affected the classroom the cops aren't planning on pressing charges."_

"I am sure that your statement about seeing the three men enter the unused classroom shortly before the explosion played a big part in the police deciding to drop it."

"_Probably. But what else could I do? I'm not going to let the guys and us get involved if I can help it. I figured the smartest thing I could do was to keep everyone's name out of it._

"Yeah, we all owe you for that."

"_Nah, I'm just glad you are OK. How is Aislinn doing?"_

"She woke up and seemed fine if not a bit tired. She took off a little while ago."

"_Man, I only wish you could've seen her! She healed you like it was nothing! Fucking amazing!"_

"Yeah well, there's a lot that comes packaged with that and I'll fill you in later. I'm going to head back to the dorms. I'll see you there."

"_Aiight. Later."_

Sarah closed her phone and absently tucked it back in her pocket. She turned to face the anxious faces of the Sons of Ipswich.

"Kate says we are in the clear."

Caleb smiled in relief. "That is great news!"

"I know. Now, I want to head back to the dorms. Give me a ride?"

The handsome man offered his arm to his girlfriend and they left the others standing shaking their heads.

"Well, we might as well head out too." Tyler said.

Nodding in agreement, the other two Sons of Ipswich followed the youngest out, oblivious to their surroundings.

It wouldn't be until later that they would regret their inattention.

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**A/N: I am utterly unhappy with this chapter. I rewrote the damn thing THREE TIMES and I STILL cannot get it to flow like I want! UUUGGHHH!!!! Thus the late update.**

**Anyway, so there you have it. A bit more background on Aislinn and some ripples of the ties that will bind the Sons of Ipswich and the Daughter of Éire**.

**We will be getting back to Chase Collins soon enough. I am sure that all of you guessed he was the prelude in Chapter 3.**

**We will also start to see more interaction between our heroine and her true love. Of course all of the love stuff will be a bit slow in coming since they are rather antagonistic. What can I say? It makes writing about them all that more fun!!**

**Also, I would like to throw down a challenge to my readers. Not a story challenge, but a review challenge. I WILL NEED A MINIMUM OF FIVE REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER BEFORE I UPDATE AGAIN!! Next chapter I will need a minimum of 6 reviews, Chapter 6 I will need a minimum of 7 reviews and so on and so forth.**

**Think you can do it? I know you can. With as many of you that have this story on your alert lists, I figure that I won't be let down.**

**(I hope either that or I really do suck at this writing thing).**

**Thanks for reading!**

**F.L.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I do not claim to own The Covenant or any of the related characters. I am just borrowing them for some good ol' fun! I DO however own my plot and OC's, so please ask before borrowing. I have worked rather hard on my story idea and would appreciate it if you, the readers, dropped me a review to let me know your thoughts.**

**Crossroads of Destiny**

**Chapter 5**

"Stupid, stupid, stupid Máthair!" A raven-haired teen growled as she marched briskly down a deserted leaf laden street in the brisk October weather. Her blood burned with fury as she mentally cursed her lineage.

"Destiny is naught but a bitch!!" She yelled, her Irish brogue thick with her rage. The cawing of a raven from a nearby tree was the only reaction to her angry declaration.

"Why Máthair? Why did you betroth me to tha' mon!! Ye know he will be the death o'er me and the clan!" Despair overwhelmed the Daughter of Éire as she stumbled across the dying grass and over to a park bench. She sat, her grey eyes staring sightlessly into the cold waters of the rushing water of the brook in front of her.

What was she to do now? She couldn't return home now. As much as she absolutely hated to admit it, her Máthair was right. She was no match for Lord Jasper Hamilton or his coven, not alone and most certainly not while she still has to learn control. The Crón Draiocht would destroy her spirit and her body before taking her soul. She would not allow herself or her clan to suffer the horrors that surely awaited them at their enemy's hands.

Oh, she knew the Hamilton line was cursed with unrequited love for the daughters of the Turlough clan, no matter how much her Máthair tried to keep it from her. Aislinn had learned at a very young age to keep her eyes and ears open as she was starved for information from the outside world.

After Bridie had been murdered, she had gone into a deep depression and refused to speak to anyone for almost a year regardless of the amount of coaxing and attention that was lavished on her. While she had not seen her sister struck down, the body that was recovered had been brutalized beyond all recognition. If it wasn't for the fine emerald gemstone necklace found with the body, she would not have believed that her sister had been killed.

The Irish teen sighed heavily. She was worried about her clan and now she had even bigger things that demanded her attention. She recalled her vision of Caleb's "ghost" and shivered. While this Chase Collins was truly dead, his soul had been trapped in the nethers until the Crón Draiocht coven had called him forth. A different body housed the fifth son of Ipswich's soul and unfortunately she was unable to see past the dark fog that obscured his new form. She knew this did not bode well for her new friends and she was sorry that her clan's enemy decided to interfere in their lives.

She was sorry for a great many things. One being that she had not been completely honest with her cousins. She had not spoken to her cousin Alana about her growing awareness of her emphatic powers. While still uncontrolled, she was no longer unable to experience that particular ability. But her biggest regret was not confiding everything in Tyler.

"He must hate me." She said lowly, her eyes filling with tears.

"Who hates you?"

Stiffening, Aislinn wiped her eyes hastily as she warily turned towards the newcomer's voice.

"Pogue." She said quietly, her tone short.

Unperturbed at her clipped tone he seated himself next to her. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes.

"So who hates you?"

Startled, Aislinn flinched at hearing his deep voice. Embarrassed at her slight jump, she lashed out.

"Besides ye?"

Pogue snorted. "Besides me." His eyes narrowed as he turned to look at her. "Unless you _were_ referring to me."

She scoffed. "Dunna be daft mon! I was not thinkin' about ye!"

He raised his brow at her vehement tone. "Alright chill. It was just a question."

The Irish teen blew out a breath as she felt her anger deflate. "You are right. I had no right to be harsh. I apologize."

Caught off guard at her soft tone he searched her features seeing open honesty there. Her fair skin was flushed and her eyes bright. _She really was beautiful_ he thought absently.

"I was actually referring to Tyler. He's the one who must hate me."

"Why?"

"Why do ye think? I kept this from him, all o' this and he canna be happy wit' me for that." She waved her hand in an agitated manner.

Pogue shrugged. "I doubt he hates you. Baby Boy is too kind for actual hatred. True, he is probably very angry with you, and he has every right to be. In his eyes you betrayed his friendship by not telling him what's what. Frankly, if I was him, I wouldn't give you the time of day."

"You are na helpin' mon! Why are ye here anyway? Ye hate me, ye have made that clear many a' time."

"Who said I was here to help you? Besides, do you expect me to feel anything other than hostility towards you? You have recently come into our lives and now we have all sorts of problems. I find it hard not to hold you responsible. You may have the others fooled, but to me you are nothing but trouble!"

Aislinn surged to her feet, her anger boiling over. "That does it mon! I willna'stay and be treated this way by the likes of ye! Ye are rude and uncouth and ha'e na respect for me! On Éire ye would'a been arrested for speakin' ta me so!"

Pogue stood up and stepped towards her, his eyes blazing with fury. "Listen here Princess, we aren't on your island! I suggest you understand that right now! I am not one of your worshipers who will scrape and bow at your feet!"

Breathing heavily they stood there inches apart, glaring at each other. "I ne'er said ye were! Tis obvious ta me tha' ye despise the verra ground I walk on! So I repeat why are ye here!"

Pogue exploded. "I'm here to check up on you! Our fearless leader Caleb _suggested_ I see how you were doing! Which is ridiculous considering I don't give a damn if you live or die! You mean nothing to me!"

Her face paled at his harsh words. He flinched inwardly at the look of pain that briefly flashed across her face before her expression became shuttered. Too late, he wished he could take back his angry words.

"I see. Well then Mr. Parry, as you can see I am fine. You may tell Caleb so, and I apologize for you feeling obligated to take up your precious time to check on me." Ice dripped from her polite words and her manner was stiff and unyielding. She turned away from him and made her way out of the park and towards Spenser.

He just stood there, feeling ten kinds of an asshole. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Why couldn't he keep his trap shut around her? Sighing heavily, he trudged towards the school as well, along the way he rethought every word she had spoken to him attempting to rekindle his anger at her.

Hopefully then he could drown out the guilt he felt.

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"Tyler, man. Just chill." Reid said as he lazily tossed a baseball up in the air and catching it.

The dark haired man glared at his best friend before continuing his pacing. "It's been four hours since we last saw her!"

"I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she just needed some time to cool off." Kate offered from her position on the floor.

"Cool off? I'll give her something to cool off about! When I see her I am going to wring her neck!"

"Tyler? Do you want us to go look for her?" Sarah asked leaning against Caleb.

"Pogue already did. And he said she was fine, just taking a breather." Reid said glancing at his longhaired friend. "Right, Pogue?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. She's fine."

Caleb narrowed his eyes at his best friend. Pogue was lying and he wanted to know why.

"Dude, you lied to us!"

Heads swiveled around to face Reid who was staring rather shrewdly at his leather-clad friend.

"Whatever man."

"No, you did. I can read it on your face!"

Tyler stopped his pacing. "Is that true? Did you lie? Tell me what happened."

"Look I saw her, we talked, she told me to tell Caleb that she was fine and then I came back here. End of story!"

Kate spoke up suddenly. "That might be true, but there is something you are not telling us either."

Pogue fixed her with a glare. "How would you know? Were you there?"

"No, but I do know you and I know that something is bothering you and I think it happens to deal with Aislinn."

Pogue scoffed. "You know me huh? Then tell me this Kate, since you know me so well, what makes you think that I give a damn what you think?"

Taken aback, the pretty mocha skinned teen just stared at him.

"You know what, I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend that everything is Ok when it is not." He sent a piercing look at her. "This just isn't working for us."

"I know." She said softly in response surprising everyone in the room. "You're right. We can't keep deluding ourselves. What we had is gone. You know it and I know it. I still care about you, but I can't be with you. I am not what you need and you are not what I need."

Uncomfortable silence filled the room at her words. Everyone else had seen the axe fall on Pogue and Kate's relationship a few weeks ago. This just finalized it.

"What are you all doing in my room?"

"Aislinn!" Tyler rushed towards her and embraced the startled teen.

"Cousin, are you feeling well?" She asked awkwardly patting his back.

Pushing her away gently, he held her at arm's length. "I was worried! You were weak from healing Sarah and then the letter you read really angered you. You stormed out of there with a huge chip on your shoulder!"

"I had things I needed to think about. I am sorry I worried you cousin. I knew you were angry with me and I feared that you hated me."

Astonished, Tyler dropped his hands from her shoulders. "Why would you think that?"

Aislinn glanced around the room taking in all of the occupants. Sarah, seeing her friend's discomfort, took charge.

"Why don't we meet up with you guys later so we can talk. How about the auditorium in an hour?"

"Fine." Tyler said without taking his eyes off of his beautiful cousin. Sarah and Kate managed to usher the others out of the room, softly closing the door behind them. Left alone with her cousin, Aislinn fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

"Aislinn, why would you think that I hate you?"

Stepping back, she fixed her gaze on the floor. "I betrayed your friendship."

The youngest son of Ipswich felt like he had been punched in the gut at her forlorn voice.

"Betrayed my friendship? How?"

"I was na honest with ye Tyler! I kept these secrets from ye and ye are my family, my friend. I know ye were verra angry with me and I canna blame ye."

"Yes, you kept things from me, and yes I was very angry. Though in all honesty, I was hurt more than anything. I wanted you to feel like you could trust me. But, I understand as I have not been completely honest with you as well."

"What do you mean?"

Sighing, the blue-eyed man sat on the bed. "How much do you know about the Ipswich families?"

"Na much. Máthair just told me that ye were all part of a verra old and powerful coven. She didna go inta much detail. She told me that I would be well protected here. Until the time came for me ta return home."

"Well that is pretty much it, except for the part with Chase."

"Will you tell me what happened?"

"Chase was the fifth son of Ipswich from a bloodline we thought had long died out. We were wrong. He tried to kill several of us and wanted to steal our powers or trick us into gifting them to him. Collins had kidnapped Sarah and was planning on killing her on the night of Caleb's ascension. That night Caleb fought with Collins and killed him. He had no choice, as Chase was bound and determined to kill Caleb and suck his powers dry."

Aislinn held his hand gently having felt his inner turmoil. Smiling gratefully at her Tyler gave her hand a small squeeze before continuing.

"Pogue was laid up in the hospital for a while and Kate had her own ordeal to overcome. Things haven't been the same between them since. While he still seems like the partying playboy type, Reid has more depth to him than before and he is very protective of his friends. Caleb and Sarah are even closer than before and I have become more outspoken and confident. That's about it."

"And now Chase Collins is back." The Irish teen said softly.

Tyler blew out a breath. "Yeah. There's that."

"I did not get a clear look at him in the vision so I do not know what he looks like now."

"Wait, what do you mean now? Won't he look like he did?"

Aislinn shook her head. "Not unless Crón Draiocht had recovered his deceased body before calling his soul forth. Otherwise, his new form will be whatever corpse the coven had used."

"Okay, that just sounds like a bad B-rated zombie movie! I thought the dead couldn't be raised."

Waving her hand dismissively, Aislinn rose to her feet and started to pace. "Typically no. It takes the darkest of magiks to call forth the dead and a lot of power. Power that can only be obtained through blood and soul sacrifices and horrific deeds. Besides, no one will be able to tell that Chase is 'dead'. He will look, act and breath as a normal person would."

"What about voodoo priestesses? Can't they raise the dead? Though I imagine that if they do it would fit the whole 'Night of the Living Dead' stereotype. I must admit I find it hard to believe that Collins will be dead but not dead. Sounds pretty damned creepy!"

"It is a bit freaky, but that is the case. I don't know much regarding the practice of voodoo since their secrets are kept close. I have heard speculation and rumors supporting that, but unfortunately, I am the type of person who requires proof. I have proof with Crón Draiocht; or rather my clan annuals have the proof. I myself have never actually seen the ritual performed."

"So we have an unrecognizable dead Son of Ipswich after our asses, a coven of some pretty bad dudes after you and your clan, Pogue's ascension, and everyday teenage issues. That about cover it?"

"Yes, wait…what? Pogue's ascension? When is that?"

Tyler drew his brows together in confusion. "Next month, why?"

Aislinn shook her head. "Nothing really. A fleeting thought flew out of my head before I could grasp it."

"I hate it when that happens. Don't worry it'll come back to you."

Sighing, the Irish teen ran her hand through her hair. "You are probably right. Should we go meet the others?"

Tyler glanced at her bedside clock and was surprised that three quarters of an hour had already passed. "I guess we should. Are we good?"

Smiling brilliantly, his cousin nodded her head. "We are. I promise not to keep anything else from you."

Grinning the dark haired man stood and hugged her. "Me too."

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"I must say Mr. Wilkes, I do believe you will enjoy Spenser Academy immensely. There are many extra-curricular activities that I think you will find invigorating for a young man of your skills."

The blond teen smiled pleasantly at the Headmaster seated in front of him.

"Thank you sir. It will be a pleasure to attend your fine school. I am only sorry that my enrollment was delayed. I hope it did not cause you any problems."

"Not at all. We received your enrollment package at the beginning of the year, and reserved your spot until you could join us. I am sorry about the deaths of your parents Troy."

"Thank you sir. I appreciate you being able to take my brother Jacob as well. Since our parents died we have been pretty close. It would be painful to be separated now. I know he had planned to enter the Air Force like our Grandfather after he graduated from Public, but priorities had to be re-evaluated. I am sure you understand."

"Of course, of course. It is no trouble. Your room assignment is right here and you will be pleased to know that you and your brother are sharing a dorm room. As you know, term just ended so the students are on a week break before the start of the next term. I hope you take the time to get to know your peers."

"I will do that sir." The tall teen stood and shook hands with the Headmaster. "Once again thank you for your understanding."

The Headmaster waved his hand dismissively. "If you need anything, just let either me or the staff know. I assume you have a way to the train station to pick up your brother?"

"Actually, sir, he arrived early and has taken a taxi here. He is actually in the Entrance Hall waiting for me."

"Then I won't take up anymore of your time Mr. Wilkes."

The headmaster watched as the tanned man left his office. He shook his head sorrowfully. It would be an asset having the Wilkes brothers here. They came from a rather prestigious background, but the death of their parents hung like a dark cloud over the family.

He rubbed his eyes, muttering to himself. "Well murder is never a nice thing."

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**A/N: **And I will end it there. I am sorry for not updating sooner, but life happened! I have not abandoned this story, and I am continuing it. Hopefully, there are those of you who are still interested in my tale. Drop me a line and let me know you are there and reading!


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